Author Archives: SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory


About SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

SLAC programs explore the ultimate structure and dynamics of matter and the properties of energy, space and time -- at the smallest and largest scales, in the fastest processes and at the highest energies -- through robust scientific programs, excellent accelerator-based user facilities and valuable partnerships. Located in Menlo Park, California, SLAC is operated by Stanford University for the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science.

Battery Design Could Help Solar And Wind Power The Grid
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Yi Cui with an experimental battery at Stanford University

This post first appeared on the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory website by Mike Ross Researchers from the US Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and Stanford University have designed a low-cost, long-life battery that could enable solar and wind energy to become major suppliers to the electrical grid. “For solar and wind power to be used in a significant way, we need a battery made of economical materials that are easy to scale and still efficient,” … Read More

PETE Devices Could Harvest Solar’s Wasted Heat

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130319-pete-wafer-full

Scientists working at the Stanford Institute for Materials and Energy Sciences (SIMES) have improved an innovative solar-energy device to be about 100 times more efficient than its previous design in converting the sun’s light and heat into electricity. “This is a major step toward making practical devices based on our technique for harnessing both the light and heat energy provided by the sun,” said Nicholas Melosh, associate professor of materials science and engineering at Stanford … Read More

World-Record Battery Performance Achieved With Egg-Like Nanostructures

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Microscope Image of Yolk-Shell Battery Nanostructures

SLAC and Stanford scientists have set a world record for energy storage, using a clever “yolk-shell” design to store five times more energy in the sulfur cathode of a rechargeable lithium-ion battery than is possible with today’s commercial technology. The cathode also maintained a high level of performance after 1,000 charge/discharge cycles, paving the way for new generations of lighter, longer-lasting batteries for use in portable electronics and electric vehicles. The research was led by … Read More

X-ray Research May Open Door to Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

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X-ray Image of Sulfur Particle

  Most electric cars, from the Tesla Model S to the Nissan Leaf, run on rechargeable lithium-ion batteries – a pricey technology that accounts for more than half of the vehicle’s total cost. One promising alternative is the lithium-sulfur battery, which can theoretically store five times more energy at a much lower cost. But lithium-sulfur technology has a major drawback: After a few dozen cycles of charging and discharging, the battery stops working. “The cycle … Read More

New Battery Research: Double-Walled Nanotubes Improve Durability and Lifetime

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Microscope Image of Silicon-Coated Carbon Nanofibers for New Battery Technology

For more than a decade, scientists have tried to improve lithium-based batteries by replacing the graphite in one terminal with silicon, which can store 10 times more charge. But after just a few charge/discharge cycles, the silicon structure would crack and crumble, rendering the battery useless. Now a team led by materials scientist Yi Cui of Stanford University and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory has found a solution: a cleverly designed double-walled nanostructure that lasts more … Read More

Even After a Thousand Folds, Exotic Material Maintains Conductivity

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Exotic Material Shows Its Practical Side

An international team of scientists with roots at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and Stanford has shown that ultra-thin sheets of an exotic material remain transparent and highly conductive even after being deeply flexed 1,000 times and folded and creased like a piece of paper. The result could open this class of unusual materials, called topological insulators, to its first practical applications: flexible, transparent electrodes for solar cells, sensors, and optical communications devices. “It’s rare for … Read More